Why keep records?

Motor Carrier Transportation Division (MCTD) auditors and safety investigators will tell you that one of the most frustrating parts of their job is working with motor carriers who have failed to keep good records.

Without an accounting of truck operations, auditors can't verify road use tax reports and payments. In that case, they know they'll have to make an assessment of the operations and it can lead to a finding of additional taxes or fees due, plus late payment, penalty, and interest charges.

Without proper safety records, investigators can't tell if a company is using mechanically safe trucks and qualified drivers and is following all the rules. In the interest of public safety, they have to take a stern position, insist that the company change its ways, and take any necessary enforcement actions.

Here's why a motor carrier should view good recordkeeping as a way to spare trouble and save money:

Late payment charges amount to an additional 10% of any road use taxes or fees due.

Penalty charges vary. If the additional assessment exceeds by at least 5% but not more than 15% of the taxes or fees due, a 5% penalty is added. If the additional assessment exceeds by more than 15% of the taxes or fees due, a 20% penalty is added. If a road use tax report is not filed, a penalty of 25% of the taxes or fees due is added.

Interest charges can then add up. Every additional assessment bears interest at the rate of 1% per month, or fraction of a month, until paid.

Keeping inadequate safety records or failing to provide safety records can result in fines of varying amounts. Inadequate or missing records violations are subject to one count x $100 for each missing record. So, for example, a record required to be in a driver file that is missing is one count, whereas missing log book pages are subject to one count for each day a log book was required and not completed. Failing to provide records when a safety investigator requests them is subject to 10 days x $100 plus suspension of authority.

Weight-mile tax recordkeeping

MCTD auditors are responsible for verifying weight-mile tax reports and payments for operations in Oregon. Each motor carrier account is reviewed every three years. Audit periods vary but usually encompass the previous three years’ of tax filings. But if there is no tax report filed for a reporting period, there is no statute of limitations. Auditors complete hundreds of weight-mile tax audits each year and assess millions in unreported taxes and fees. It's not always bad news, however, because some audits result in credits as any overpayment caused by an incorrect report is refunded to the motor carrier. For every account that is assigned to an audit, many more are screened and cleared by staff. Auditors screen over 30,000 accounts each year to determine which warrant close scrutiny.

Weight-Mile Tax Recordkeeping All motor carriers must maintain records of their motor vehicle operations for a period of three years and must produce these records for inspection upon request. ODOT must give the motor carrier a reasonable time and place to produce the requested records. Oregon law provides that ODOT shall be reimbursed by the carrier if its representatives travel outside the State of Oregon to examine operational records.

All carriers must maintain records containing the following information for each vehicle:

• Origin and destination points • Oregon entry and exit points • Actual Oregon miles for each trip • Pickup and delivery points in Oregon for each trip • Routes for travel for each trip • Dates of each trip • Daily beginning and ending odometer or other mileage recording device readings for each vehicle • Load tickets and/or bills of lading for each shipment transported • Identification of any exempt miles claimed, which shall include beginning and ending odometer or other mileage recording device readings for the exempt portion of each trip. If repeated trips are made to and from the same locations, a one-time recording of odometer or other mileage recording device readings for the exempt portion of those trips may be applied to the total number of trips.

• Carriers operating motor vehicles that are issued or required to obtain an annual variance permit under ORS 818.200(1)(a) to (c) with a combined weight of more than 80,000 pounds shall also provide for each reporting period the number of axles in the vehicle configuration, and a record of changes of operation. A change of operation occurs when the vehicle configuration remains the same but the actual weight of the vehicle and load changes from over 80,000 lbs. to 80,000 lbs. or under. Empty movements are not changes in operation.

• Carriers operating motor vehicles in multiple configurations shall provide the number of miles operated in each motor vehicle configuration for each trip.

All registrants that pay registration fees via registration trip permits must retain a copy of each registration trip permit.

Records generated from on-board recording devices, vehicle tracking systems, or other electronic data recording systems may be used in lieu of, or in addition to, the records required in this rule provided that the electronic records meet all the requirements of sections (1) through (3) of OAR 740-055-0120, and are provided in printed format upon request.

If operating under the International Registration Plan (IRP) and International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA), carriers must maintain all records pertaining to such operations as required by IRP and IFTA. See IRP and IFTA record keeping requirements below.

Fuel purchase records, refunds

Oregon charges heavy trucks a weight-mile tax for road use, rather than a fuel tax. Motor carriers operating trucks with a combined weight over 26,000 pounds can buy fuel in Oregon at many commercial fueling stations without paying a fuel tax if they carry a credential that verifies they’re paying the weight-mile tax. They’ll need a valid temporary or permanent Oregon Weight Receipt and Tax Identifier, a valid Temporary Pass, or an Oregon Commercial or Oregon Apportioned license plate with a valid sticker. Without such proper credentials, the fuel provider must charge fuel taxes. (Some fueling stations charge the fuel tax anyway because they can’t back it out of the purchase.)

When carriers who are paying weight-mile taxes also pay a fuel tax, they can request a refund of the fuel tax when they file their next weight-mile tax report with the Oregon DOT Motor Carrier Transportation Division. But a claim for credit cannot be processed unless the claim is supported by proper documentation from the actual seller of the fuel. They also cannot be based on invoices from processing/billing companies like Voyager and SC Fuels when fuel is purchased at retail stations because they are not the actual seller of the fuel. The processing/billing company invoices will be accepted, however, when the billing relates to a cardlock station. In that case, the processing/billing company is considered the “seller.” Those receipts and invoices still must confirm that tax was paid for fuel purchased for a weight-mile-tax-paying vehicle.

All motor carriers must obtain an invoice covering every purchase of motor vehicle fuel and preserve the same for a period of three years subject to inspection by the Department or its representatives at all reasonable times.

Such invoice must disclose: (a) Date and location of purchase; (b) From whom purchased; (c) Kind of fuel and number of gallons purchased; (d) Oregon Weight Receipt and Tax Identifier number or temporary pass number of the vehicle if fuel is delivered directly into such vehicle; and (e) Amount of fuel tax paid.

Motor carriers purchasing fuel in Oregon may claim a credit for Oregon state fuel tax paid at the pump. Carriers shall deduct the amount of fuel tax paid from the highway use tax due on the highway use tax report for the period in which the fuel was purchased. Motor carriers taking a deduction on the highway use tax report for fuel tax paid shall attach a copy of all fuel invoices for which credit is claimed. Carriers who purchase fuel in bulk shall attach to the highway use tax report for the period in which the fuel was dispensed into a motor vehicle copies of invoices from fuel suppliers indicating Oregon state fuel tax paid and fueling records showing fuel dispensed for each motor vehicle.

Motor carriers may submit a written request for refund of Oregon state fuel tax paid up to three years after purchase. A written request for refund may be granted for any Oregon fuel tax paid but not deducted from the highway use tax report for the period in which the fuel was purchased. Motor carriers requesting refund must attach copies of all invoices. No such refund will be issued until an audit has been performed.

EXCEPTION TO 740-055-0110(2): Invoices may disclose the Oregon Commercial or Oregon Apportioned license plate number instead of the Weight Receipt and Tax Identifier number or Temporary Pass number.

Unacceptable

Claims for fuel tax credits will be rejected if they are not supported by invoices from the actual seller of the fuel that contain the date and location of the purchase, the fuel supplier, the kind of fuel and gallons purchased, the Oregon weight-mile tax credential number assigned to the vehicle — Oregon Commercial or Apportioned license plate number, Oregon Weight Receipt and Tax Identifier number, or Temporary Pass number — and the amount of Oregon fuel tax paid.

Claims are rejected if they’re based on an invoice from a processing/billing company like Voyager or SC Fuels, unless the billing relates to a cardlock station, for the reasons described above. Claims always require documentation verifying that tax was paid for fuel sold to a weight-mile-tax-paying truck.

ORS 319.671 and OAR 735-176-000 requires the seller of fuel to provide a copy of the invoice for every sale to the user upon request. The invoice shall show all information that is required by ODOT for the verification of fuel tax credits. These invoices can be handwritten if necessary. If a handwritten receipt is generated, it still must contain all required information.

IRP and IFTA recordkeeping

MCTD auditors also check that Oregon-based carriers are in compliance with International Registration Plan (IRP) and International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) requirements related to their operations in other states and provinces. IRP requires an average of 3% of the base jurisdictions’ registrants be audited each year. Audits may cover the current registration year plus three previous registration years. IFTA requires an average of 3% of the base jurisdictions’ licensees be audited each year. Additionally, at least 25% of the base jurisdiction’s high mileage licensees and at least 15% of the base jurisdiction’s low mileage licensees must be audited each year.

International Registration Plan (IRP) Recordkeeping Registrants are required to preserve the records upon which the apportioned registration application is based for a period of three years after the close of the registration year, and those records shall be made available for audit during normal business hours upon request. The registrant must record all movement of apportioned vehicles including loaded, empty, deadhead and/or bobtail distance. The registrant must also record all distance traveled by apportioned vehicles under trip permits.

If operating vehicles subject to weight-mile tax and/or the International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA), carriers must maintain all records pertaining to such operations as required by OAR 740-055-0120 and IFTA. See record keeping requirements listed for each elsewhere on this Web page.

International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) Recordkeeping Every carrier with an IFTA license is required to maintain records that substantiate what is reported on their IFTA Quarterly or Annual Tax Return. Carriers must keep operational records for a period of four years from the due date of each return or the filing date, whichever is later. The required records include Distance Records, Fuel Records, and Bulk Fuel Records (if applicable), and must be recapped in monthly summaries. The following must be presented to Oregon Department of Transportation auditors upon request:

DISTANCE RECORDS • Date of trip (starting and ending) • Trip origin and destination • Route of travel • Beginning and ending odometer or hubodometer reading of the trip • Total trip miles • Intermediate trip stops • Miles by jurisdiction • Unit number or vehicle identification number • Vehicle fleet number • Registrant’s name

FUEL RECORDS • Purchaser’s name • Seller’s name and address • Date of purchase • Fuel type • Price per gallon • Unit number • Number of gallons received • Separate totals must be compiled for each fuel type, and retail fuel purchased must be accounted for separately from bulk fuel purchases

Bulk fuel inventory reconciliations must be maintained, and records must distinguish fuel placed in qualified vehicles from other uses.

Failure to maintain the above records may result in disallowance of tax-paid credits claimed on the IFTA tax returns, assessing fleet miles per gallon to 4.0 mpg, or both. Receipts that have been altered or indicate erasures are not accepted for tax-paid credits unless the licensee can demonstrate that the receipt is valid.

If operating vehicles subject to weight-mile tax and/or the International Registration Plan (IRP), carriers must maintain all records pertaining to such operations as required by OAR 740-055-0120 and IRP. See record keeping requirements listed for each elsewhere on this Web page.

How to keep tax records

The Motor Carrier Transportation Division has created a 9-minute presentation that goes into detail about Highway Use Tax Record Keeping Requirements. The presentation is an animated slideshow that includes narration answering the questions:

Why keep records?

What information must be kept?

How do I record all that information?

How long do I keep records?

Who's going to look at those records?

The presentation includes links to forms and additional information that expands it to 19 minutes if one views everything there. Viewers can pause the slideshow at any time and click on the various links.

The presentation is designed for all motor carriers who operate in Oregon and pay the state's weight-mile tax. But the information is also useful for interstate operators who need to keep most of the same records to meet requirements for the International Registration Plan and International Fuel Tax Agreement.

Safety recordkeeping

Motor carriers must meet a number of different recordkeeping requirements for safety purposes. There's a need to keep records related to both vehicles and drivers at each trucking company's office, all ready to be produced if requested by a state or federal safety investigator.

If a carrier were to develop a bad score in one of the Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories of the CSA safety measurement system, it may prompt a visit by an investigator to check particular records and safety practices or conduct a complete safety compliance review. Carriers can save considerable time and trouble if they keep good records at the office.

But carriers can save time and trouble on the road, too, because trucks are routinely stopped for inspection at roadside and weigh stations and then certain records must be ready to show an inspector:

Maintenance records must be retained for one year at the location where the vehicle is stored, and maintained for six months after the carrier sells the vehicle.

Driver / Vehicle Inspection Reports At the end of each driving day, the driver shall complete a Driver / Vehicle Inspection Report that covers all items in the pre-trip inspection, plus wheels and emergency equipment. The driver shall list any safety related defects, or those likely to cause a breakdown. Each report shall include three signatures by the following individuals:

Driver – at the end of the driving day, certifying the defects found, or that no defects were discovered.

Carrier/mechanic – before the next trip, certifying that the defects were repaired.

Driver – before the next trip, acknowledging that the carrier/mechanic signed for the repairs.

The reports must be kept on file for at least three months, but need not be in the driver’s possession.

Note: Driver / vehicle inspection reports are not required for driveaway towawayoperations, or for a motor carrier operating only one CMV orCMV combination (power unit with trailers).Periodic Inspections Every commercial motor vehicle used in interstate commerce, including each unit in a combination, requires a periodic inspection every 12 months. The inspection must include all items described in the Minimum Periodic Inspection Standards (Part 393, Appendix G). Any defective parts or accessories discovered during the inspection shall be repaired promptly.

The original or a copy of the periodic inspection report must be retained by the motor carrier for 14 months from the report date. Documentation (report, sticker, or decal) of the most recent periodic inspection must be kept on or in the vehicle.

The periodic inspection may be performed by one of the following entities:

The motor carrier

An outside repair shop

A state or other governmental agency that is a member of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). The vehicle must pass a level I (full roadside) or level V (terminal) inspection in order to qualify for this option.

If the inspector performing the annual inspection is an employee of the motor carrier or the outside repair shop, the carrier must ensure that the inspector is qualified. To be qualified, the inspector must:

Have the mechanical knowledge and ability necessary to inspect and identify defective components.

Training or Experience: Inspectors must have gained experience or training by one of the following:

Completing a State, Federal, or Canadian training program in commercial motor vehicle safety inspections; or

Having at least one year of equivalent training, experience, or both.

Brake Inspections Each motor carrier must ensure that any employee responsible for brake inspection, maintenance, or repairs has the mechanical knowledge and ability necessary to perform those tasks.

Training or Experience: Employees must have gained experience or training by one of the following:

Completing a training program sponsored or approved by a State, Federal agency, Canadian Province, or labor union in brake servicing or inspection; or

Having at least one year of equivalent brake-related training, experience, or both; or

Passing the CDL air brake inspection test.

Documentation of Qualifications: Motor carriers must retain evidence of an inspector’s qualifications until one year after the inspector ceases to perform inspections for the carrier. However, no evidence is required for a brake inspector who passed the CDL air brake test.

Roadside Inspections Driver Responsibility: A driver who receives an inspection report from an on-highway CVSA inspection must deliver the report to the motor carrier as soon as possible.

Certification of Repairs: The motor carrier is to examine the inspection report and ensure that any violations or defects noted on the report are corrected before next dispatch. The carrier must sign the report to certify that all violations have been corrected, and return the report to the indicated address within 15 days after the inspection.

Record Retention: A copy of the report must be retained by the motor carrier for 12 months from the date of inspection.

Accident Register Motor carriers must maintain an accident register for three years after the date of each accident. The accident register must contain at least the following information:

Date and place of accident

Driver’s name

Number of injuries and fatalities

Hazardous materials (other than fuel) released, if any

Copies of all accident reports required by governmental entities or insurers

Financial Responsibility Federal regulations in Part 387.7 and Part 387.31 require that motor carriers must have proof of the minimum level of insurance at the company’s principal place of business. Proof consists of one of the following:

Driver-related safety records

Driver Qualification File Every motor carrier must have a qualification file for each driver employed. The file must include:

APPLICATION FOR EMPLOYMENT (391.21, 383.35) Besides basic driver information as outlined in 391.21, the employment application shall include detailed information of all license suspensions, and a 3-year history of moving violations, accidents, and employers (10-year employer history for CDL drivers). The driver-applicant must sign the application certifying its accuracy.

INQUIRY TO STATE AGENCIES (391.23) Within 30 days of hire, the motor carrier must obtain the driver’s driving record, both personal and employment-related, for the preceding three years. The inquiry must be made to all states where the driver was licensed.

ANNUAL REVIEW OF DRIVING RECORD (391.25) At least once every 12 months, the motor carrier must obtain and review the driver’s driving record, both personal and employment-related. Note: Convictions, accidents, and suspensions from a driver's driving record may automatically be obtained through the Oregon DMV's Automated Reporting System (ARS). For information, visit the DMV Web site.

ANNUAL DRIVER’S CERTIFICATION OF VIOLATIONS (391.27) At least once every 12 months, the motor carrier must require each driver to provide a list of all moving violations for the previous 12 months. Drivers who have provided information required by 383.31 need not repeat that information in this annual list of violations.

ROAD TEST (391.31, 391.33) The driver must successfully complete a road test and be issued a certificate, or provide the motor carrier with a copy of the driver’s CDL or previous certificate showing that the driver has already completed a road test. However, a copy of the CDL alone is not sufficient for any driver required to have a double/triple trailer or tank vehicle endorsement.

MEDICAL EXAMINATION (391.41 - 391.49) The driver must pass a physical examination conducted by a licensed health care professional every two years. The driver is then issued a Medical Examiner’s Certificate which must be carried while operating a CMV, and a copy of the certificate must be kept in the Driver Qualification File.

Driver Investigation History File Every motor carrier must have an investigation file for each driver that includes the driver’s Safety Performance History. Within 30 days of hire, the motor carrier must contact the previous employers within the past three years to obtain and verify the information listed below. Previous employers are required to release the information. A written record must be kept of all contact results. The file must be considered confidential and only be allowed limited access.

DRIVER IDENTIFICATION / EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION (391.23) The motor carrier must obtain general employment data about the driver, such as name, date of birth, starting and ending dates, and job responsibilities.

ACCIDENT HISTORY (391.23) The motor carrier must inquire about all accidents the driver was involved in, and obtain all accident information listed in 390.15(b).

DRUG/ALCOHOL HISTORY (40.25, 391.23) The motor carrier must obtain information about whether the driver had any drug/alcohol violations and whether the driver completed a rehabilitation program. This information must only be obtained from employers where the applicant drove CDL-required vehicles, and must only be made with the driver’s written authorization.

The motor carrier must also ask the applicant about all positive pre-employment tests or refusals for motor carriers within the last two years who did not hire the driver.

Note: Records of positive drug tests may also be obtained from the Oregon DMV, with the driver’s written permission. For information, visit the DMV Web site.

Alcohol and Controlled Substance Testing An employer shall maintain all records related the controlled substances and alcohol program in a secure location with limited access, made available within two business days to any authorized government personnel. The records shall be kept on file based on the following retention periods:

Five years: All records related to any violations of the controlled substances or alcohol standards described in Subpart B (examples: positive test results, SAP evaluations) and records related to the administration of the program.

Two years: Records related to the collection process.

One year: Negative and canceled test results.

Indefinite period: Training records.

Driver Record of Duty Status Every driver shall prepare a record of duty status (driver’s daily log) in his/her own handwriting for each 24-hour period, unless operating under an exemption.

The driver’s log must be kept current to the last change of duty status.

The driver must have the current day’s log plus the previous 7 consecutive days in his/her possession.

The driver must turn in the original log sheet to the motor carrier within 13 days. The logs must be kept on file for at least 6 months. Retention periods will be greater if the logs are used for other purposes such as tax reporting.

Short-Haul - 100 Air-Mile Radius Drivers A driver is exempt from completing the driver’s daily log if all of the following is true:

The driver operates within 100 air-miles of the normal work reporting location.

The driver returns to the work reporting location and is released from work within 12 hours.

The driver completes a time card for each day showing: The time the driver reports for duty, the time the driver is released from duty, the total hours on duty.

Note: The start and stop times for each time card must show AM or PM, or be recorded in military time. Each time card must also include the driver’s name and date. The time cards must be kept on file for at least 6 months, but need not be in the driver’s possession.

Short-Haul - Non-CDL Vehicles A driver is exempt from completing the driver’s daily log if all of the following is true:

The driver operates a property-carrying CMV not requiring a CDL.

The driver operates within 150 air-miles of the normal work reporting location.

The driver returns to the work reporting location and is released from work at the end of each day.

The driver completes a time card for each day showing: The time the driver reports for duty, the time the driver is released from duty, the total hours on duty.

Note: Interstate drivers using this exemption may drive up to the 16th hour on 2 days of each 7-day period. However, any driver using this exemption may not use the 100 air-mile radius exception or sleeper berth provision.

Occasional Drivers A first time or occasional driver must give the motor carrier a signed statement showing the total hours on duty during the last 7 days, and the last time the driver went off duty.

Automatic On-Board Recording Devices Alternatively, motor carriers may require a driver to use an automatic onboard recording device to record the hours of service. The driver must still have in his/her possession the duty status records in automated or written form, for the previous 7 consecutive days. All hard copies of the duty status records must be signed by the driver. Each CMV must also have an information packet which contains: (1) an instruction sheet, and (2) a supply of blank log book forms.

LCV Driver-Instructor Qualification File A motor carrier must have a qualification file for each LCV driver-instructor it employs or uses. The file must include:

Proof of the instructor’s qualifications; and

A copy of the instructor’s CDL with the appropriate endorsement(s).

Note: For further information on the LCV driver training requirements, see 380.101 through 380.401.